Credits:

Paulet, Stephanie

Description:

Mascagni achieved great success with his opera "Cavalleria Rusticana," premiered in 1890. He continued to work as a conductor while composing numerous operas, writing 15 of them during his lifetime. This "Iris" was premiered in Rome in 1898 under Mascagni's direction. The play was written in response to the "Japonisme boom" that was sweeping Europe at the time, and the playwright Illyrica provided Mascagni with the libretto. The first performance was a great success. The title "Iris" refers to the iris flower. The story is set in Edo, where Iris, an innocent girl who takes care of her blind father, is tricked by a young man named Osaka and a pedant named Kyouto, and is sold to the Yoshiwara. The aria "Un di, ero piccina" sung by Iris in the second act is said to have been inspired by Hokusai's ukiyoe painting "The Octopus and the Diving Woman. The title role in this work is sung by Armenian soprano Karine Babajanian. She is a specialist in Puccini's music, and her beautiful voice will captivate the audience here as well. The conductor is Felix Krieger, who was born in Germany in 1975.He was Claudio Abbado's assistant with the Berlin Philharmonic and became Kapellmeister of the Bielefeld Theater in 2000. He is currently the founder, artistic director, and principal conductor of the Berlin Opera Group Orchestra. Naxos Japan

Tracklisting:

1.Iris, opera~Akt 1. La Notte - I Primi Albori
2.Iris, opera~Akt 1. I Fiori
3.Iris, opera~Akt 1. L'Aurora. Son Io, La Vita!
4.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Ho Fatto un Triste Sogno
5.Iris, opera~Akt 1. E Lei, E Lei!
6.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Voglio Riposarmi
7.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Al Rio! Al Rio!
8.Iris, opera~Akt 1. In Pure Stille
9.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Giu per la Via
10.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Io Son Danjuro
11.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Misera!... Ognor Qui Sola!
12.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Apri La Tua Finestra!
13.Iris, opera~Akt 1. E Questa Poesia
14.Iris, opera~Akt 1. La Bellezza - La Morte
15.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Grazie Mousme!
16.Iris, opera~Akt 1. Vieni, Dammi Il Braccio
17.Iris, opera~Akt 3. Nel Cielo Cominciano I Primi Bagliori. "Un Grand" Occhio Mi Guarda!